Morro Bay Triathlon - June 5th, 2011

Well, I did it! I completed my first triathlon. What a journey it has been to reach June 5th...and I am SO glad I did it! Here are some photos that I would like to share with you, together with a little story line.

I knew that what I ate and drank during the triathlon was important...

And I had heard horror stories of people having stomach/bathroom problems during triathlons. So, I tried all these products together and then went out and exercised...just to make sure. Everything went fine, thank God!

I also figured I need to remove any kind of potential wind resistance...

Then I used a "make sure you don't forget" list from a friend and well-seasoned triathlete (*thanks, Dwight) to insure I brought everything I needed.

After loading everything in the trunk, I said to myself, "Don't forget your bike!" (*You laugh...I have heard stories from others...)

Jacquie & Gloria got in the car and we headed for SLO.

When we arrived at the hotel in Shell Beach, Gloria's friends Sam & Holly picked her up and Jacquie and I checked-in. The Cliffs is the hotel Gloria used to work at while attending Cal Poly. (*She got us a fantastic rate.)

 Here's the view from our room:

The next morning we got up and had a great breakfast

I knew it would be just a little different than what I would eat on Sunday morning...

(*I actually had a banana and part of a scone, but that wouldn't have made a very good photo...)

Saturday morning was nice...slow and relaxing...nothing like I anticipated Sunday morning being like. We drove to downtown SLO. I went to my favorite coffee shop (Black Horse, www.blackhorsecoffee.com) while Jacquie window shopped. We really love SLO...even when it rains.

After lunch, we drove to Morro Bay to check-out the venue.

 And to dream of reaching the finish line the next day...

After registering, we walked around the downtown area while a blues band played an outdoor concert.

Because it was rainy and cold, we headed for the car and then back to SLO for dinner. We went to an Italian restaurant that we visited a year or so ago with Grandma Marianne (www.www.palazzogiuseppe.com) and had a fabulous dinner.

We started with some deep-fried zucchini blossoms...

Then Jacquie ordered a pear, beet, walnut, and arugula salad...

Jacquie ordered some parsnip soup, too. But it looked nasty. (*Are you surprised that she ordered parsnip soup?!)

I got the risotto and found that they brought me the entire pot! I think three or four people could have been fed with what they brought me. (*No, I didn't finish...this was triathlon eve, remember?!)

Drinking a nice glass of red wine was great...

Especially given the fact I knew I would be sucking-down GU the next morning.

Jacquie and I had a wonderful evening together. She has been my biggest fan for almost 30 years' now.

We went back to the hotel, I went through my check-list, and we watched a little tv. Jacquie was sleepy...and I was pretty confident I wasn't going to sleep much that night. I was right.

I was nervous. Would I be able to do it? My biggest concern was the swim. I was pretty sure I was ready physically. But there is something daunting about swimming in the ocean. I mean, you can't stop jogging and start walking. What if I threw-up and one of the lifeguards had to rescue me? What if I had gastro-intestinal issues somewhere along the way? What if...?

When I got up at 5:30 Sunday morning, I looked at my bed and wondered, "Geez, would I rather be lying down in a warm bed or flopping around in the freezing sea in the rain?!" Bed sounded better, but I had foolishly told everyone I was doing a triathlon and couldn't back out now!

When we left the hotel, it was raining. It was supposed to rain all day. We might even see some lightening. I had prayed for days and by Saturday I was at peace. If God wanted it to rain, well, it was going to.

Morro Bay is about 30 minutes from Shell Beach. It rained all the way there. But, there appeared to be some blue sky...just over Morro Bay. I know, I know. It either makes you want to say, "Bullsh**!", or, it makes your skin crawl.

When we got out of the car, it was sprinkling. By the time I reached my first of two transition staging areas (*I didn't even know I HAD two until I only had four minutes to have them both set-up!), the rain had stopped. It didn't rain at all during the entire event. Not one drop. Nada. I even think I got a little sunburn on my legs. HA!

Here's a picture of your's truly, a "Spar-stang" in living color. (*I started college at Cal Poly - their mascot is the Mustang - and then finished at San Jose State - their mascot is the Spartan.)

Here is the first of three courses. After looking at this map and the other two, driving around the day before to make sure I wouldn't get lost, and listening to the detailed information a few minutes before jumping into the ocean, I still had no idea of where I was going.

 
In fact, when I was swimming, I asked the lifeguard who was floating on a surfboard, "Hey, is there one more buoy out there?" She said, "No! Turn around and head for shore! You're doing great!" That was some of the best news I heard all morning!

It made me laugh when they gave me my tracking chip and I noticed the name on the velcro holder...

There were several different legs or teams that had different colored swim caps. First the young men were called to the water's edge and sent off. Then the women. Then the old men. I'm the one with the white cap and the black wetsuit...

Here I am, getting ready to jump in! (*Notice that I strategically located myself at the end of the pack! I was there to "exercise & enjoy" and had no desire to win, nor to have someone kick me in the face!)

Oh, it was so good to pass each one of these buoys

And, I was so glad I didn't see any of these cute creatures

Believe me, they're cute in photos and when you are standing safely on the shore. I am OK with seeing NOTHING when I am in the ocean.

Here I am, 1.5 kilometers later, trying to remove my cap and shake the seawater out of my ears without falling over...

My skin was red and I think my nose grew...

Miraculously, just like the finger that grew back, my nose appears to have returned to its normal size.

After swimming I visited the potty. Remember, I wasn't trying to win...nor have I figured out how to tinkle in my wetsuit while continuing to swim straight, breathe without sucking down large quantities of sea water, and trying hard to not think about how COLD the water is on my face and how my nose feels like it is growing! Oh, and btw, I was the ONLY one who went to the bathroom. I guess that means everyone else HAD figured out how to do everything at once...

From the beach I went to my first transition staging area and got ready to cycle.

Here's the map where we cycled:

The map really doesn't do justice to the beautiful route we rode on. Imagine Highway 1 between Morro Bay and Cayucos...

Here's an aerial view of Cayucos

So, we rode out about 12 miles and then headed back to Morro Bay. On the outskirts of town, lo and behold, there were Jacquie, Gloria, and Holly cheering for me...

I made it back to my second staging area and got ready to run. By the time I had changed my shirt and shoes and got my iPod going, Jacquie, Gloria, & Holly arrived to the staging area to cheer me on...

Two events down, one to go!

 

The course was absolutely breath-taking. I wish I had taken my phone/camera with me. We crossed a couple of little trickles of water on gang planks...I didn't fall in, but got my shoes wet.

Then we ran on this coastal path, part of which was through a tunnel of tree branches....kind of like this, but even more amazing because there were trees on both sides. It felt like I had entered some kind of fantasy...either that, or I was so tired I was becoming delirious.

When we exited the tunnel, we ran amongst wildflowers on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean coastline...

Here's a map of the 10k run:

So, would you have known where you were going if all you had was this map? Thank God they had lots of arrows on the course and people at strategic points telling us which way to go.

At one point, when it was time to leave the path and head to the sand, a guy was sitting on the edge of a cliff telling us, "Hey, it's muddy and slippery. Be careful!" Thankfully I didn't slip and fall.

About a half mile from the finish line, Gloria and Holly were monitoring the coast, waiting for the old guy with the blue shirt and the white cap to appear. (*Gloria wanted to make extra sure it was me this time, since she had already shouted outloud, "Hey, that's my Dad!!!" to some guy who wasn't during the cycling leg!)

Well, after a long time (*remember, I was there to participate, not compete!), a blue blob began making its way toward them. Is it him?

I think it is him...

Yep, that's my dear, OLD, Dad!

Man, it was hard running (*almost crawling, really) up that soft, smooshy sand!

I did, however, enjoy running on the hard, packed sand. It made me think of the movie, "Chariots of Fire". (*I was running a lot slower than they were to be sure!) But one of the benefits of going slow is that I could see that the shore had lots of shells. So, I picked-up three sand dollars

There are only two here, because I have transformed them into tokens that will be used by three very special people at next year's Morro Bay Triathlon. Jacquie has her's. So does Gloria. Hannah, your's will be on its way shortly!

Without question, one of the many highlights of the triathlon was having Gloria jog alongside me for about a quarter mile just before the finish line. I think what made my heart want to burst was I knew she was proud of me. What more could a father want?

Six some-odd miles later, I made it the finish line...about three and a half hours after I started. (*I was one of the last to finish.)

 

The people who cheered me on...

Doing my first triathlon was a wonderful, stretching experience. Not only the event itself, but the entire training process leading up to it. It really was a journey of discovery in many ways. In fact, I think there is still a lot to uncover as I walk into the next chapter of my life.

While waiting to jump into the ocean for our 1.5k swim, I chatted with an experienced triathlete. He told me about the "tri" that takes place each year in Pacific Grove. What struck me was the way he described the beginning of the swim. It is called the "Kelp Crawl". Yes, you have to pull your way through kelp. (*And yes, my mind immediately began to wonder what lurks therein!) It takes place in September and I am thinking of doing it.

I hope you enjoyed my adventure - I had fun sharing it with you.

I hope you feel inspired to go after something you think you cannot do. Better yet, something you know you cannot do!

Comments

[Elaine Zuber]

Congrats Randy! It's so awesome you have experienced the fun of triathlons. This has been one of the coolest ways I have experienced God. Pushing my mind and body farther than I have before, and seeing God through it all. You are getting me excited to do it again! And I must say, doing an olympic distance for your first is truly inspiring!

[Dick Cryan]

Congratulations on your achievement, and thank you so much for sharing. Now you have to carbo-load for a month to recover!

[Dave Chase]

Once again I am inspired by the feats of "My Little Brother". If you do the PG tri I'll be there.

[Steve Sisler]

Unbelievable... so proud of you Randy!!!

[Karen Bowers]

Ah-ROO! Great race report! I can't believe you had 2 transition areas! What a lot of set up!

I'm looking forward to my experience this weekend. Actually I'm nervous about it which is apparently developmentally on track for the week before.

And I'm thinking about the Pacific Grove race, too. :)

[Claire Sabeti]

You're the man Randy! How about doing the STP with me next year? Only 200 and some odd miles on a bike.So no wierd sea creatures involved! So proud of you and looking forward to seeing you and Jacquie in a few days.

[randy]

thanks for your kind words, claire!

tell me more about STP...who knows, maybe i will do it...and jacquie, too!

[Maculated]

This is one of the best race reports I've ever seen. Thank you, this is exactly why we keep at it even though it makes us broke! (One of the race directors)

[randy]

cool!

you guys did a great job. i was really impressed by how friendly and professional everybody was.

i hope to do it again next year, hopefully with some family and friends.

[randy]

karen, you are going to do great!

i went in with the goal to "exercise & enjoy" and i did.

i look forward to hearing how it goes...

[randy]

hey, elaine! i didn't know you are a triathlete! wow, a mommy AND an athlete! you are incredible!

i hope to see you participating at a triathlon in the future.

[randy]

i will always be your little brother, dave...even though i am bigger than you!

if you come to my tri, it might make me cry...

[Steve Skinner]

So happy for you. It's a blast to push yourself & it great to be buff! Hope you get to enjoy more.